We know it is coming every year: winter and cold weather. Many times I hear people talking about winter like it is a surprise, then laugh and admit that it is silly we always seem shocked when the cold hits.

Maybe it is because the winter weather seems more unpredictable and spontaneous.

The winter conditions we all experience are much like the situations that many of our clients find themselves in: unpredictable changes that are hard to manage. Because many of our clients are without resources or skills to assist them with these changes, the situations can be overwhelming.

Our mission is, and will always be, to help children and their families through the “winter months” of their lives.

Lisa Jordan President & CEO

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Addressing Substance Abuse Early On

FYSB staff developed this preventative program nine years ago in 2006 in cooperation with the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department. The Alcohol Drug and Defense Program (ADD) meets with adolescents who are in the early stages of dealing with substance abuse issues.

FYSB Clinical Services Counselors Jessica Howell and Dan Rau meet with both teens and parents as part of the four week Alcohol and Drug Defense Program.

For more information about the Alcohol Drug and Defense Program, contact

The Family & Youth Services Bureau received The Community Education Award in December 2014 from the Indiana Youth Services Association.

IYSA Chief Advancement Officer Michele Whelchel states “The Community Education Award is presented to the agency in the state making the most significant impact on their community. By coordinating or facilitating community and school events, this agency has led the charge to save the lives of young people in their community by raising awareness about issues that affect area youth.”

Committed to addressing issues that affect local families, the Family & Youth Services Bureau hosts the Family Life Workshops six times each year covering topics of interest to parents, educators, and social service professionals; offers presentations to schools and organizations on critical issues specific to each group; and in 2014 was instrumental in bringing IYSA’s Making Good Decisions program and the Lifeline Law to the attention of the local community. Established in 1972, FYSB currently provides 22 programs and services to over 4,000 Porter County residents.

Teens can be referred to the program by a school, a parent, or the Juvenile Probation Department. There are four weekly sessions, which each last for about three hours. Each session focuses on pertinent issues, such as being assertive, and what influences the decision to use drugs or alcohol.

“We talk at sessions about the long and short term effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drugs,” said counselors Dan Rau and Jessica Howell. “Also included is discussion of the Lifeline Law, so teens know they can call 911 in an emergency without fear of prosecution.”

Characteristic of all FYSB programs, the ADD Program also involves the teen’s parents, who are scheduled to meet twice with the counselors during the four week session.

The ADD program is offered eleven times each year, alternating monthly between the Family & Youth Services Bureau offices in Valparaiso and Portage.